Boost for lifelong learning agenda

Mohamed Khaled (centre) handing over the appointment certificate to Zaiton during a ceremony in Johor Baru.

The Higher Education Ministry has selected advisory committee chairmen for every community college in Johor in order to promote the government’s lifelong learning initiative. Out of the 105 community colleges in Malaysia, 13 are located in Johor. The community colleges aim to provide the public with the opportunity for lifelong learning that is tailored to their specific needs. The 13 advisory committee chairmen will work towards identifying the educational requirements of the communities residing near their respective colleges. This announcement was made by Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the Minister of Higher Education, during the appointment ceremony held in a hotel in Johor Baru.

In addition to this assignment, the ministry is collaborating with Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) to provide training programs for community college lecturers. This will enable them to share their knowledge with the public effectively. The ministry is also considering the implementation of reskilling and upskilling programs that will offer benefits to the public. Furthermore, all community colleges will receive a one-time allocation of RM20,000 to conduct teaching and learning programs accessible to the public.

Noor Azleen hopes to introduce courses for small businesses at Kolej Komuniti Pasir Gudang.

In an effort to support the B40 group and enhance their income opportunities, the ministry plans to offer a diverse range of courses such as makeup, hairstyling, marketing, promotional skills, and mushroom farming. Noor Azleen Ambros, the advisory committee chairman of Kolej Komuniti Pasir Gudang, expressed his intention to introduce more courses on branding, marketing, and online promotion for small business owners in his region. He acknowledged that the needs of the Pasir Gudang community are focused on digitalization and expanding their businesses online.

Among the newly appointed advisory committee chairmen is Zaiton Ismail, the patron of Johor Society of the Deaf, who will be overseeing Kolej Komuniti Muar. Zaiton hopes to encourage more deaf and hearing-impaired individuals to enroll in courses at the college. She believes that obtaining certification and developing skills will enable them to increase their income, as many of them currently struggle to make ends meet.